


Hey, watch out

by afterhoursfiction



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, also love myself some nice ignis prompto bonding, and noctis is Worried, prompto is a hot mess, sometime in chapter 3, this whole fic is impulse-written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 08:33:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12032124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afterhoursfiction/pseuds/afterhoursfiction
Summary: Prompto is a hot mess and Noctis wants to hold his hand to make sure he's okay but it's maybe kinda obvious.





	Hey, watch out

**Author's Note:**

> me: why does prompto keep slipping and sliding when he fights he's such a hot mess  
> me: write a fic about that  
> //set sometime during chapter 3, after you unlock the Duscae region//  
> I've been wanting to write something for this game since I finished it a month ago but this is the fic I wrote so okay I guess??

It’s been two weeks since they’ve left Insomnia, and Noctis is convinced Prompto’s some kind of hot mess. In the afternoon alone, the boy had stumbled five times and fallen twice. Once, thank gods, Gladio had caught him by the arm, saving him from dropping into a ditch and Noctis from having a heartattack. The second, Prompto had fallen forward and on his arms, but an embarrassed flush and a small abrasion was all he suffered.

Noctis isn’t sure if he wants to be in front of Prompto so he didn’t get have to get jumped by the sabertusks anymore, or behind him so Noctis could catch him the next time he stumbles. Or maybe Noctis should just fucking hold his hand, but that was a little too out there, so Noctis settles for planting himself firmly beside Prompto and cautiously eyeing him.

 

They’re on their way to a hunt and according to the map, they were getting close. Which meant that Prompto is a jittery mess, trying to keep his eyes peeled as he squints through the bushes. Though that meant he wasn’t paying attention to his feet, and it was catching on every piece of root poking out of the earth.

“Watch your step, Prompto,” Gladiolus gripes.

“Sorry!” Prompto squeaks.

 

In the past week, they’ve broken through the blockade and travelled into Duscae. It had been a mostly hectic week, with the news of Insomnia still sinking in as they slogged through Keycatrich Trench. Prompto had been convinced that it was haunted (well, it  _ was _ a tomb) and his nerves alone might have enough static to light up the caves. Yea, it had been bad. Noctis was just glad he didn’t shoot himself, or any of them, for that matter.

Still, he was growing increasingly worried for his friend, whom according to himself -  _ had no chill - _ and looked the part.

Noctis understood where he was coming from, in some way. They had lived their whole lives in Crown City, where the roads were well-paved and monsters didn’t spring out from every corner. He probably won’t have coped well himself if Gladio hadn’t been training him for years. Even then, Noctis tired easily and pretty much crashed every night - motel, caravan or tent.

On the other hand, Prompto had only been trained for months. Everyone was actually surprised he could shoot as well as he could except when - he couldn’t.

 

“Hey, get down,” Gladio hisses.

Noctis scans ahead and sure enough, catches the few silhouettes that are their targets for today. Beside him, Prompto is beginning to take deep breaths.

By some instinct, or a kind of half-formed idea, Noctis reaches a hand behind Prompto’s back and started rubbing circles into his shoulder.

“N-Noct?” Prompto turns to him, eyes wide.

He had - he had no idea what he was doing. Noctis wants to slap himself, so instead he quickly slaps Prompto on the back.

“Jeez, calm down.”

Then Prompto is coughing, Gladio is giving them a funny look and Noctis just wants to warp away even though they haven’t decided on a strategy yet.

“I’d say it’ll be wise to round them up and pick them off,” Ignis offers, in that always helpful way of his.

“Sounds like a plan,” Noctis agrees, already rising to his feet.

“I’ll take the left and Iggy can take the right,” Gladio adds.

“W-wait, what about me?” Prompto starts, frantically looking between the two.

“You just follow me.”

 

Noctis turns his attention to the group of five yellowtooth, summoning his engine blade to his hands. A quick glance back told him that Prompto was on his tail, a handgun summoned at ready in his hands as well. The beasts have yet to notice them, but it won’t be long for that - they’ve been getting warmer.

Noctis can see it in his head - Gladio striking down one, maybe even two, from the left as Ignis attacks another from the right. Noctis just has to aim his blade at the one turned towards them, and leave Prompto to pick off the last one on the far edge.

So on Gladio’s signal, he moves. Noctis throws his blade forward, body warping after it. He catches the distinct crash of Gladio’s greatsword and the Ignis’ sharp, precise swings, before he’s crashing into the yellowtooth himself.

The yellowtooth falls back from the impact, crashing into the ground. Noctis lifts his sword, bringing it around for a series of quick, heavy slashes and finishing off the creature. Then a gun goes off and Noctis realises with a start that he had thrown his sword out too far.

Which left Prompto open to the one yellowtooth which had been in striking distance.

Noctis is throwing his blade again, this time at thin air as he tries to warp back to his friend.

“Prompto!”

Gladio and Ignis are still preoccupied with the other yellowtooth, wrestling back the last of their fight. Prompto is on the ground in a terrible tip of their battle, just barely holding back the beasts’ snapping jaws with the barrel of his gun.

“Noct, a little help?” He pleads, frantic and fearful.

Noctis slashes through the yellowtooth’s body, and braces his sword against it as it twists back to attack him. Freed from the hold, Prompto aims his gun and fires a shot through its head, and the beast goes limp.

“You alright, Prompto?” Noctis asks, a little shaky as he pushes the yellowtooth off his sword.

“Apart from uh, possibly bleeding to death, I guess?”

Prompto gives a weak laugh.

Then, Noctis’ eyes fall to the bloodied gashes on his friend’s arms, no doubt inflicted in his struggle with the yellowtooth. Noctis moves quickly, falling to his knees beside his friend and digging around his pocket for the small stash of potions he held.

“Here,” he says.

Prompto winces as Noctis pours the curative over his wounds, then relaxes as the magic begins to work.

“You kids alright?” Gladio asks, marching up to them as his greatsword is banished is a flash.

“Is Prompto hurt?” Ignis frowns, quickening his steps as he notices the blond laying in the ground.

“He’s fine now,” Noctis responds.

“Yeap,” Prompto chirps, though there’s still a strain in his voice. “Sorry ‘bout wasting another potion.”

“It’s not a waste,” Noctis hisses before anyone else can comment. Then, in a softer and more somber tone, he adds, “and it’s not your fault. It was mine. I aimed at the wrong guy and left you with...”

“Ah, it’s nothing!” Prompto says quickly. “I mean, your call - right? Anyway, you came back and saved me so it’s all good!”

“But, you got hurt...”

Noctis feels really, really bad. He knows it was just a small slip-up, and maybe it was the stress of all the battles from the past week, but something in him just wants to kick himself for letting that happen to Prompto. Gladio and Ignis had been hurt multiple times too, but they had always been good at taking care of themselves. But Prompto? Man, Noctis is just worried for the guy.

His reflexes were fickle. At times, he could be moving swiftly and landing every shot he took. But other times he would stiffen up, lose his balance, take awful shots and is a hot mess in general.

“Well, it’s just ‘cause I’m incompetent like that, so-”

Prompto shrugs, Gladio and Ignis exchange a look while Noctis lets out a slow breath.

“Don’t say that about yourself,” Noctis sighs, exasperated. “You’ve only had Crownsguard training for a couple of months.”

“Yea but,” Prompto protests, sounding increasingly desperate as he glances between Gladio and Ignis. “I can’t even have your back.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Noctis says, frowning. “Gladio and Ignis are there.”

“That’s right,” Gladio chimes in. “You just need to watch yourself.”

“But I can’t even-” Prompto argues weakly.

“And if you can’t, then we’ll watch out for you too, Prompto,” Ignis adds easily. “We’re all out here together, anyway.”

At that, Prompto clams up. He sits up slowly, dusting off his jacket.

“Ready to head back to the Regalia?” Ignis offers.

“Yea.”

 

* * *

 

The Regalia is quiet on the short drive to the haven, with Noctis asleep in the back and Gladio buried in a book. Prompto is turning their words over in his head. He knew he had been certain when he came on the trip as Noctis’ friend, but it still feels like a whim. He had gone through the Crownsguard training and came up okay, so he thought it might be fine.

He even thought he might be able to protect Noctis.

Well, the past few weeks had proven that awfully wrong. Prompto couldn’t even protect himself.

“Something bothering you, Prompto?” Ignis asks conversationally.

Prompto had no idea how Ignis could keep his eyes on the road and still notice him.

_ That’s what you can do with four eyes, _ he thinks childishly.

“Huh? Guess I’m just thinking about why I came along in the first place, if I can’t even pull my own weight,” Prompto answers bitterly.

“Well, you are certainly not Noct’s bodyguard,” Ignis says.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Prompto responds sarcastically, slumping into his seat.

“What I meant was,” Ignis pauses, no doubt for theatrical effect, “-didn’t you come on this trip as his friend?”

“I guess,” Prompto shrugs unhelpfully. “I think I’m just making him upset, though.”

Ignis sighs, exasperation clear in his breath.

Noctis was - he looked  _ upset _ though. Every time Prompto slipped, stumbled or got hurt, Noctis had this frown on his face. He never said anything beyond asking if Prompto was alright, or offering a potion if the injury required it. Though earlier, Noctis had told him not to call himself incompetent.

He didn’t say that he wasn’t, though.

Oh gods, Prompto was supposed to stop this overthinking stuff. Noctis won’t think that about him, right? But Prompto would never know, would he?

“You are aware that Noct had been quite worried about you, Prompto?”

Prompto looks at Ignis, who still has his eyes on the road.

“What?” Prompto says unintelligently.

“He has been upset at how easily you’ve been getting hurt, and I suppose the last incident was rather distressing,” Ignis continues. “But I don’t suppose that he’s upset at  _ you. _ ”

“Huh.”

“Besides, you’ve never really failed to put a smile on your highness’ face.”

At that, Ignis actually glances away from the road for a moment to meet Prompto’s eyes.

“Perhaps the past week had been a tad stressful for all of us,” Ignis remarks, smoothly maneuvering the Regalia as it gets darker. “But before being a gunman or Noct’s bodyguard, I think you would be his treasured friend.”

Prompto feels a warm flush creeping up his neck despite the cool night.

“Yea. You’re right, Iggy.”

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Noctis wakes to someone nudging at his shoulder. Was it even light yet? Noctis groans, turning on his side to return to sleep.

“Noct, you promised!” They hiss.

Oh, that’s right. Noctis forces his eyes open, propping his heavy body up. He had promised Prompto that he would go along with him for some photos in the morning.

“Come on, the sun is rising already!” Prompto urges, already on his feet and ducking out of the tent.

“Yea, I’m coming,” Noctis responds, lazily lacing up his boots at the foot of the tent before stumbling out after his friend.

Prompto was already halfway down to the lake at Alstor Slough, camera slung at his side as he waves to Noctis.

“Hurry up, ya slowpoke!”

Noctis stretches out his limbs, feeling the pop in his joints, and then he’s breaking into a jog down to the lake.

Prompto is already snapping photos, camera held up to his face as he searches for and frames every subject of interest.

“Man, the lighting is awesome,” Prompto breathes.

“Yea.”

Even Noctis had to agree. The way golden light splashed over the mountains, making mirrors out of lakes and throwing a warm glow over the earth was breathtaking. It wasn’t something he had ever appreciated back in Insomnia.

Prompto was easily thinking the same thing, the way he brings the lens back to his eyes, a pleased grin plastered over his face as he snaps away.

“So, why’d you ask me to come out with you?” Noctis asks, sitting a hand on his hip as he watches his friend.

“I told Iggy I wanted to take some photos here, but he told me if I was going to go wandering off then I should bring someone.”

“Uh-huh. Like someone to make sure you don’t get mauled while you’re playing photographer?” Noctis quips.

“Noct!” Prompto cries, pulling the camera away to pout at him.

Noctis grins, that cheeky way that Prompto would think is  _ awful. _

“You don’t have to worry though, you got me.”

“Yea, so long as  _ you _ don’t push me into the lake or something,” Prompto responds, leveling him with a wary look.

“You think I would do that?” Noctis expresses in disbelief, even though he has to stuff his hands into his pockets to keep the idea at bay.

 

For the rest of the morning, Prompto catches various photos of the lake, and even some of the catoblepas and other beasts. He even turns the lens on Noctis a few times, and Noctis offers him a small smile or two.

It’s nice really, to see his friend relaxed in his element like that. Watching the way his face lights up behind the camera, Noctis is really glad he brought Prompto along on this trip.

Then Prompto finds a comfortable spot by the lake, a dry slab of rock amongst the marshy earth. Noctis sits beside him, legs crossed, watching his friend go through the photos he had taken.

“Not worried about me today, huh?” Prompto remarks.

“Huh?”

“I talked with Iggy last night, in the car while you were napping,” Prompto continues. “He said you were worried about me.”

“I- of course I was,” Noctis huffs. “With you being such a klutz and all.”

“Couldn’t bear it if I got myself killed, huh?”

Noctis turns to look at his friend - to  _ really _ look at him. Prompto doesn’t look anxious at all like he did the day before. He’s relaxed, shoulders settling like pieces of a puzzle that were falling into their natural place.

“Y’know, even though it’s been dangerous, I’m still glad I came on this trip,” Prompto says. “I don’t think I’d wanna miss these sights for the world. And it’s fun being with you guys, too.”

“It’s fun being with you, too,” Noctis says, feeling a small fondness shaping in his chest.

Prompto was right - about the sunrise being beautiful, and now he’s picking up on it first-hand again, looking at the blond. Man, is the boy rubbing off on him with his photography stuff. Noctis thinks, distantly, that Prompto should take more photos of himself. If the camera could see the way the hazy morning glow is peeking through his blond hair, catching his freckles and lighting up his eyes, Noctis thinks it’ll make a good picture.

But it’s Prompto’s camera, and Prompto’s call.

A moment later, Prompto rises to his feet, stretching out his limbs before turning to Noctis.

“Iggy should be making breakfast soon, should we head back?”

“Yea,” Noctis replies, starting to rise to his feet. He feels a little breezy, light-headed and uncertain all of a sudden, that he stumbles a little.

“Woah.” Prompto reaches out, grabbing Noctis by the hand to steady him.

“Careful there, princess.”

“Maybe you’re finally rubbing off on me,” Noctis scoffs, though his face burns hot, and he knows it’s not from the sun.

“Hey!” Prompto barks.

Noctis laughs, and in some spontaneous act of boldness, holds onto Prompto’s hand as they make their way back to the haven.

“Hmm?” Prompto hums, quirking his eyebrow in question.

“Gotta make sure you get back fine, right?” Noctis says quickly.

“Yea, sure.” Prompto rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t pull away.

It’s a good morning, breakfast smells amazing and Prompto is even swinging their arms when they get back to the haven.

**Author's Note:**

> hey at least he got to first base  
> I will...write something better someday probably.
> 
> catch me on [tumblr](http://afterhoursfiction.tumblr.com)


End file.
